Enterprise NX-01 Encounters The Battlestar Galactica

Note: Not a battle scenario. This is how the crews would react to each other.
Enterprise is on an exploration mission of the Alpha quadrant and it detects a strange energy signature. So, being the explorers that they are, they decide to alter course and investigate. (Right after Season 2, Episode 11)

The Battlestar Galactica is on a steady course, minding its own business. The Cylons have slowed down for a bit. All is calm. When suddenly, out of nowhere a unknown DRAIDIS Signature appears, Closing fast.
( Remastered series. Shortly after Season 2, Episode 8)

DRADIS should have been the give away, I haven't heard of either of the BSGs or ENT being remastered.

On futher thought, either of the Galacticas should have been able to stomp the NX01, battlestars are built for combat and to absorb damage. Plus Adama (especially nu-Adama) are train for combat tactics.

How so? The Romulan War was fought with primitive atomic weapons - making it pretty likely that Archer's "spatial torps" had that type of warhead before he upgraded to antimatter. "Sleeping Dogs" in turn suggests antimatter torps were new to Earthlings at the time, and silver bullets of sorts when delivered to the NX ships; the war might have been fought largely without this tech, especially if it was a brief one.

BSG, nuBSG and ENT missile warheads seem to produce more or less the same magnitude of kaboom. And the effect on starship hull is comparable, too, or at least it sounds comparable when speculated upon in "Minefield".

And the ENT would have problems targeting the maneuverable vipers.

Click to expand...

Did NX-01 have targeting problems? The hit rate against all opponents, including the wildly maneuvering Suliban and Xindi, seemed to be the usual 100%.

Of course, output differs radically: the nuBSG anti-craft cannon pump out thousands of rounds to score their hits, while ENT beams lash out relatively seldom. The rate of kills-per-minute still seems more or less the same, though.

What effect would polarizing the hull have with the nu-vipers explosive canon shells?

Click to expand...

Difficult to tell - did Galactica have potent armor when she shrugged off a nuke hit or two? Or just bulk? Archer's ship is less bulky, but seems to be capable of taking the same sort of punishment; BSG small craft never stood a chance against capital ships even in swarms of a hundred, as their missile warheads for some reason never were comparable to those of the capital ships (which is pretty different from the WWII inspiration where aircraft bombs were quite comparable to battleship shells).

On the other hand, ENT's phase canons migth have been able to cut into the Galactica.

Click to expand...

Or then the armor that kept Adama alive through at least two nuke hits would also thwart the phase beams. Also, Star Trek engagement ranges are very short, perhaps because phase beams die down rapidly with distance; this would favor Galactica and her combination of close-in cannon and those missiles with respectable range. Unless, of course, Archer quickly noticed the enemy can't do FTL all that easily, and began aggressively warping in and out - a practice that we know mangles BSG ships to scrap metal fairly quickly.

The two Adamas were very different men.

Click to expand...

...But let's assume the reimagined one would be moderated to a close likeness of the original one by the constant meddling of his "better half", the troublesome President Roslin. The scenario does seem to involve a situation where the Cylons are not a pressing issue and actual argument on the bridge may happen.

Most like if the Galactica started firing Archer would turn tail and run (if he was still able).

Click to expand...

Running would probably indeed solve this battle, just like in the usual ST vs SW fights: warp drive allows for running while tracking, while jump drives and hyperdrives spell the absolute end of the engagement.

But which side would see the need to fire? Nothing Archer did would appear aggressive to Adama, is my guess: whether NX-01 started hailing, or beaming people aboard the Galactica, this would take Adama by surprise but would also happen far too rapidly for him to react aggressively before it was too late and dialogue or boarding was already in progress. Ship-courtship rituals in the BSG universe take much longer... And Adama preparing for aggression would be slow and easily observed (launching of fighters, swiveling of cannon, opening of missile hatches).

What would Adama say to an invitation to Promised Land? "Why, yes, we live there. Plenty of room for a ragtag fleet or three. Although the last time we looked, there were fifty-seven empty worlds with similar specs free for taking in the neighborhood. Perhaps you'd like to look around first?"

On the other hand, if accepting the invitation meant welcoming the Cylons to Earth's doorstep, too, with their superduperdrives and all, the original Adama might Do the Right Thing and refuse.

On the other hand, nuAdama at the specified time, S2 ep8, would not yet be slave to religious and political compromises that would affect his command decisions. Seeing Archer's death rays in action, he'd probably quickly forge an alliance and suggest offensives that would deal with his problem once and for all. And seeing Phlox wave one of his magic wands or caged critters at Adama's second-in-command and go "Curious, did you realize you're one of these Cylon people yourself? Has it manifested as headaches, perhaps? Any hallucinations? Your pseudoparaplotwise cortex is exhibiting... Musical activity?" might leave an impression on the leader, too.

If it came to a fight, as others have said it would be short and victorious for the NX - simply beam a few warheads into the Galactica and detonate them.

That said, why would it ever come to a fight? Galactica wants to kill Cylons, but it has no beef with the NX, and Archer isn't going to attack another ship for nothing. There's no reason for conflict and plenty of reason to avoid it.

So expect peaceful contact. There's a fair few habitable planets the NX could point Galactica to, so at the very least it's a chance to stock up on supplies. Possibly even settle down.

Would the Earth government let them settle on Earth? Very possibly, IMO. There was plenty of alien immigration to Earth already going on at the time, after all, and though it caused some resentment the government seemed firmly committed to allowing it. Yes, you may invite Cylon attacks... but they're going to be just as vulnerable as the Galactica would be, if not more so. And besides, if Cylons are in the area they're going to bump into Earthers sooner or later anyway, so Cylon attacks would be coming no matter what. May as well have folks handy who are used to fighting them.

There wouldn't be a fight. Adama would recognize the superior technology and ethical nature of these humans and ask for assistance. Archer would decide since they didn't have warp capability yet, that they'd have to die slowly and horribly at the hands of cylons. He'd then be elected president of the Federation for his shrewd thinking.

The NX-01 has beam weapons. Neither BSG did. Any Starfleet ship could easily shoot down a missile (nuclear or otherwise) aimed at them. And of course there's no such thing as shields in the BSG universe.

But I agree that there would never be a conflict between the two. Archer would gladly lend assistance to the fleet, and the government of United Earth would accept these new humans as refugees.